An increasing proportion of the world’s poor live in fragile states, and efforts to build economic and social stability increasingly focus on those settings. Thus, understanding whether, to what extent, and how these efforts achieve their goals, remains important. In our impact assessment of SPARK’s LEAD 2 program in Somalia and Tunisia, Neil Ferguson and […]
An increasing proportion of the world’s poor live in fragile states, and efforts to build economic and social stability increasingly focus on those settings. Fragility harms the political and economic ecosystem, as well as individual endowments. Interventions that only focus on overcoming individual constraints might be insufficient. Support for entrepreneurs to overcome skills or credit […]
For almost a decade, the UN Secretary-General’s Peacebuilding Fund (PBF), and its implementing partners, have worked in the Polochic Valley in order to address the causes of violence and to reduce its future incidence. In this work, we evaluate the effectiveness of a recent round of interventions, focused on improving the capacities of local dispute […]
The PeaceFIELD initiative works towards closing key knowledge gaps at the heart of the peacebuilding field, generating evidence on what works and how.
Rigorously measuring the effects of peacebuilding approaches This Special Issue of the Journal of Development Effectiveness will bring together rigorous, innovative research on peacebuilding interventions, their effectiveness, how they work, which types offer the greatest return on investment, and which types might not perform as anticipated. In particular, the Special Issue welcomes submissions that seek […]
About the conference Fragile Lives 2025 is the second edition of an annual international expert conference focused on using rigorous, scientific evidence to inform policy interventions in fragile, conflict-affected, and underdeveloped settings. It will take place on 30 September and 1 October 2025 at Humboldt University in Berlin. This year’s central theme is: Gender, Institutions, […]
ISDC’s Peacebuilding Research Program tackles real world questions on how to build peace, mitigate violence and avoid violent forms of conflict resolution. Our work considers all stages of the conflict cycle, focusing on what can be done to prevent war from breaking out, ensure violence is reduced during active conflicts while promoting peaceful resolutions, and […]
Luke Hosford is a Junior Researcher in the Peacebuilding Research Program at ISDC. He recently completed his dual Master’s degree in International Politics from the University of Konstanz, Germany, and Rutgers University, New Jersey, specialising in Conflict and Security Studies. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Economics and Political Science from Trinity College, Dublin. His […]
Project Background Over 100,000 reunifications of families separated by forced displacement take place in OECD countries every year, but needs are thought to be much greater. Despite this need, reliable data on how many families have reunification needs, and what those needs are, are missing in most contexts. This inhibits policy design, both at the […]
Fragile Lives 2024 was the first edition of a new annual expert conference aimed at discussing the role of scientific evidence in shaping policies for fragile and conflict-affected areas. Throughout the event, held on 1 and 2 October 2024 at Humboldt University of Berlin, representatives from academia, policy, and practice explored how poly-crises, where violent […]
Gemeinsam mit den renommierten Institutionen ISDC, UN Peacebuilding Fund und 3ie bietet Kooperation Global der Entwicklungsgemeinschaft die Möglichkeit, wertvolle Einblicke und Lehren aus der Initiative PeaceFIELD zu gewinnen. Die Veranstaltung fokussiert sich auf die Frage: „Was wirkt in der Friedensförderung?“ und welche Schlüsse können für eine effektive und evidenzbasierte Politikgestaltung gezogen werden?
Registration is now open for the international expert conference ‘Fragile Lives 2024‘! The conference, which will take place on 1-2 October 2024, will host a unique mix of experts from academia, policy, and practice speaking on the cutting edge of research and programming on three themes: Key speakers include: Beyond that, the conference will include […]
ISDC is studying activities related to bringing victims of armed conflict and other situations of violence rapid and flexible assistance to cover their essential needs and unavoidable expenditures in sustainable ways that respect their dignity.
On the 17th and 18th of April, the world of peacemaking descended upon Berlin to attend the Berghof Foundation’s new conference: The Berlin Moot. Under the theme of ‘Reshaping Peace’, more than 300 experts from around the world came together to take stock on the current state of peacemaking and discuss concrete suggestions for the […]
We study how the stringency of policy measures to counter the COVID-19 pandemic affects individuals’ trust in formal institutions. Drawing on micro-level panel data from Germany spanning an 18-month period from the onset of the pandemic, we show that, on average, there is a pronounced negative relationship between the stringency level of COVID-19 countermeasures and […]
This brief is a policy-focused summary of our research on the complexities of financing peace agreements.
Our research on the complexities of financing peace agreements delves into the understudied intersection of funding and peacebuilding processes.
This report contains findings from an impact assessment of SPARK’s programme LEAD 2, focussing on its success in supporting new entrepreneurs.
This report presents our findings on LEAD 2’s effects on new start-ups and existing SMEs, thereby assessing the efficacy of jobs-based programming in promoting stability and economic development in the region.
ISDC is looking for qualified bidders for data collection in Sierra Leone and Guinea.
This report outlines the research and analysis conducted as part of the baseline study for the project titled “Promoting the Management of Social, Political, and Institutional Environment to Diminish Agrarian Conflict in Polochic Valley, Guatemala.” Funded by the United Nations Peacebuilding Fund (PBF), the project is implemented by a consortium of UN agencies, including the […]
